On November 4, 2016, Gift of Life Donor Program and the Delaware Valley Healthcare Council (DVHC) honored Einstein Medical Center Montgomery with the DVHC Gift of Life Award.
PHILADELPHIA, PA – On November 4, 2016, Gift of Life Donor Program – the organ procurement organization for the eastern half of Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and Delaware – and the Delaware Valley Healthcare Council (DVHC) honored Einstein Medical Center Montgomery with the DVHC Gift of Life Award. This prestigious award is given to a hospital(s) with superior performance and outcomes in organ donation during the past year, achieving a 75% organ donation conversion rate or dramatically improving their performance in the past year. The recipients were honored at DVHC’s Annual Meeting, which was held at the Sheraton Valley Forge Hotel in King of Prussia, PA.
Gift of Life also recognized 18 Pennsylvania hospitals that had five or more potential organ donors during the award period, for achieving a 100% patient referral rate. The hospitals are: Abington Jefferson Health, Aria – Jefferson Health – Frankford, Aria – Jefferson Health – Torresdale, Einstein Medical Center Montgomery, Hahnemann University Hospital, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Jefferson Hospital for Neuroscience, Lankenau Medical Center, Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital, Mercy Philadelphia Hospital, Methodist Hospital, Nazareth Hospital, Paoli Hospital, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, Temple University Hospital, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.
“The life-saving power of organ donation can only occur with the assistance of dedicated and caring hospital professionals. I’d like to thank them for their commitment to organ donation, and for helping give others a second chance at life.” said Howard M. Nathan, President & CEO, Gift of Life Donor Program. “This past year, Einstein Medical Center Montgomery achieved great and life-saving results by ensuring that families making end-of-life decisions were given the opportunity to help others through organ donation.”
“I am so proud of our staff – our nurses in our intensive care unit, in the emergency department, as well as our entire physician team.” said Beth Duffy, COO, Einstein Medical Center Montgomery. “When you have staff that supports it (donation), you can be incredibly successful. And I think that’s what we’ve shown.”
There are still nearly 5,600 men, women and children in the region who are awaiting a life-saving organ transplant. Unfortunately, there are not enough transplantable organs available, which results in an average of 21 people dying each day in the U.S. Nationally, more than 119,000 people are waiting for a transplant, and their lives depend on the kindness of strangers to give them a second chance at life. These statistics show that Gift of Life’s work is far from finished. You can help Gift of Life save lives. Register today at donors1.org. It only takes 30 seconds.
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About Gift of Life Donor Program
Gift of Life Donor Program is the non-profit, federally-designated organ procurement organization, serving 11.2 million people across Delaware, southern New Jersey and the eastern half of Pennsylvania. Its annual donation rate ranks among the highest in the world. Since 1974, Gift of Life has coordinated more than 46,000 life-saving organs for transplant, and approximately one million tissue transplants have resulted from the generosity of donors and their families. One organ donor can save the lives of up to eight people, and a tissue donor can enhance the lives of up to 75 others. For more information or to register, visit donors1.org.